Encountering the Holy Fire of Revival
Ongoing revival is what we were born for.
And the wonderful reality of ongoing revival is found in the presence of God. This is the great discovery, the great adventure found only in the experience of an open Heaven. Truly an open Heaven is our inheritance as believers.
The subject of an open Heaven appears as a promise of Scripture through the prophets, and is a mandated target in prayer. The open Heaven is where God’s perfect world of beauty, order, and purpose fills this one so completely that it resembles Heaven in eternity, even though we’re still here in time. Such a hope is not a lofty or baseless desire of the ignorant. Instead, it comes with the absolute conviction that this will happen, must happen, and in one sense is already within reach in measure. All increase in the Kingdom comes through the faithful stewardship of what has already been given, and we’ve been given so much. Discovering and utilizing God’s gift of an open Heaven must and will change everything.
It’s important to see that having an open Heaven is God’s idea, God’s will. As such, it is a prayer assignment for us. Isaiah declared it as a mandate in prayer in Isaiah 64:1. Jesus modeled it with the Spirit of God who rested upon Him in the form of a dove. And then Jesus also gave it to us as a prayer assignment with the phrase, “on earth as it is in heaven.” (See Matthew 6:10.) His desire is to see His world influence all we are and all we do. The combination of prayer and obedience releases Heaven on earth/open Heavens. This reality is addressed in part by the thin veil that exists between the realm of eternity and time, between Heaven and earth, as is somehow accessible simply because He invites us to come.
Seeds of Thought
As we open this book with such a unique subject, I want to plant a few seeds of thought through the following Scriptures. As our experiencing the open Heavens is very important to God, it must become increasingly important to us. While the Scriptures below are somewhat random, and in no particular order, each carries a thought that reveals God’s heart for us in this present day of an open Heaven:
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows” (Malachi 3:10).
This passage from Malachi links the opening of the heavenly realm to the obedience of God’s people. Interestingly, this manifestation of an open Heaven was in response to tithing and giving, which is the beginning place of good stewardship of money and resources. Jesus taught us later that faithfulness with money qualifies us for true riches. (See Luke 16:11.) The riches that Jesus was promising were not more money. His riches are the treasures of a heavenly realm, a realm that is available right now to permeate and influence our lives. I deal with this topic in more depth later.
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne (Revelation 4:1-2).
I love this verse from Revelation because it speaks of God’s desire for us, which is revealed in His invitation, “Come up here.” That open Heaven was to enable John to see what must take place in the future. The point is, the open Heavens give us a unique vantage point from which to see. Perception is clearer in the open Heaven realm. Everyone sees better and thinks clearer in that heavenlike environment.
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased” (Mark 1:9-11).
This is one of the two primary verses we’ll be looking at later in this chapter. The Heavens opened in response to Jesus’ obedience in being baptized in water by John. It was a baptism of repentance. And Jesus had nothing to repent for. This was His intercessory role, as He identified with us and our need for the baptism of repentance.
Several other Scriptures shed light on the clarity that comes through the open Heavens:
But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56).
This amazing account is of Stephen when he was martyred for his faith. Jesus, who is described as “seated at the right hand of the Father,” is seen standing in this story. Jesus stood to honor and welcome the first martyr of the Church. The point becomes clearer: Open Heavens give greater and clearer perception of the ultimate reality. And not seeing Jesus on the throne, and not living conscious of that reality, will always cause us to become more aware of inferior realities.
But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” (Acts 10:10-13).
Peter had a most unusual experience, spoken of in this passage. The Heavens opened so that he could see what he was to do: eat what he considered unclean food by Jewish law. The open Heaven was an experience that was far greater than having a subtle impression in the heart. God will sometimes increase the measure of our experience because He knows of our ability to forget or even discount what He has said. This command was much more than a dietary command. Through this, Peter would now gain additional insight to their much-needed theological adjustment to welcome Gentiles into the Church.
Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence (Isaiah 64:1).
This will be the second passage that this chapter will be built around. It was both a prayer and a prophecy about an open Heaven. When He rends the Heavens, He comes.
Violent Acts of God
There are many acts of God that we could consider violent. The Old Testament is especially attuned to such things—from the splitting of the Red Sea, to the judgment that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah, to the lightnings and thundering on the mountain when Moses visited with God. All these, and so much more, could fall into that category. But there is one biblical violent act that surpasses them all for me. It was a New Testament experience at Jesus’ water baptism.
Let’s repeat the verse mentioned above:
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased” (Mark 1:9-11).
The primary purpose of this chapter is found in the phrase, Heavens opening. In the original language this word opening means “to rend,” “to split,” “to tear.” It is a violent act.
The nature of this word used to describe Jesus’ water baptism is further demonstrated when it appears in this verse from Matthew 27:51 at the death of Christ, “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.” This was a spiritually intense moment as the Son of God had just been crucified, and everything in time and eternity was affected. The veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, from God’s side to ours. He is the one who destroyed what separates us from Him (this was accomplished through the blood sacrifice of the Lamb of God) and demonstrated it in the tearing of the veil.
The second word highlighted in this verse is the word split. The word used for both torn and split is the same word used in Jesus’ water baptism. It carries with it an even greater display of violence, in that along with a veil being torn, big boulders were simply torn in two. Rocks! They were torn apart. By the nature of the word used, we can see that the open Heaven above Jesus in His baptism was not a simple parting of clouds. The very fact that this was a violent act implies there was resistance, or an already existent power in place. Spiritual darkness needed to be broken. I believe it was a demonic realm that worked to keep people in spiritual blindness. But Jesus was and is the light that came to enlighten every person born into the world (see John 1:9). And at His water baptism, the Heavens were opened (torn open!), and the Holy Spirit came down. Think of it: The wonderful Holy Spirit came down, through the open Heavens, and rested upon Jesus. And He never left Him.
In summary, an open Heaven is all about the presence of God: seeing, understanding, encountering, and perceiving realities that circumstances would deny, participating in greater realities, and partnering with Him to see the abundance of His world come and fill ours.
God Answers Prayer
The second verse I’d like to highlight from the list above is from Isaiah 64:1, “Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence.” We are so accustomed to reading prophecies that still need fulfillment that we all too often live unaware of what has already been accomplished. These fulfilled promises enable us to fulfill our assignment and destiny. And this verse is, for me, a most important promise to remember.
In the Mark 1 account of Jesus’ water baptism, we see God fulfill the prophecy, and at the same time answer the intercessory prayer of Isaiah. “Rend the heavens and come down.” That is word for word what happened in this moment. The obedience of Jesus brought about an open Heaven, through which the Spirit of God came down and rested upon Him. It was torn open, and He came, which was essential in that it was the Holy Spirit who enabled Jesus to see and do what the Father was doing. He was central to all that Jesus was assigned to do.
We function with the realization that there are at least three realms of Heaven mentioned in Scripture. I mention this point as it is vital to remember that the powers of darkness could never block or interrupt what God does in Heaven, which is the realm of His undisturbed rule. While He is certainly Lord over all, He has allowed the influence of humanity to play a role in our world. He is in charge but has chosen not to control the decisions we make.
First Heaven: That is the realm we live in day to day. It is all that is earthly and seen with the natural eye.
Second Heaven: That is the realm of angels and demons. It is spiritual/unseen with the natural eye, but is not the realm of Heaven itself.
Third Heaven: That is the realm of Heaven itself, where the throne of God is. Everything in that realm is perfect and wonderful under His dominion and rule. Righteousness, peace, and joy are prevailing influences as all that exists finds its identity and fulfillment in His design.
An open Heavens makes what exists in the perfect, God realm available to influence and shape the first Heaven, where we live, without the interference from the second realm.
Conflicting Realities
The Holy Spirit, who lives in every believer, came through an open Heaven, the same way as happened with Jesus. James speaks of the Father and His heart for the Holy Spirit: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us” (James 4:5). So, let’s look at the greater reality: The Holy Spirit came to us through an open Heaven. And it’s the Father who longs for fellowship with the Spirit who dwells in us. My question is this: What power of darkness can block the fellowship of the Father with the Spirit? None. Absolutely none. The implication is that as believers, we live under an open Heaven. Our problem is not that we need God to do something in addition to what’s already happened; our problem is that we live unaware of what He has already done for us, and how He has designed us to live as a result.
We live in a spiritual world with light and darkness, good and evil, and spiritual forces of wickedness that work to interfere with what God is saying and doing. But let me make something very clear—there is no battle between God and satan. God is infinite power. The devil is created and extremely limited, especially as compared to God Himself. The picture that some have created of this great war between God and the devil is a joke. A very, very sad joke. It wouldn’t be a contest in the least. The war was between the devil and those created in the image of God: humanity. When we gave up our right and responsibility through sin, Jesus became a man and thoroughly beat the devil through His death and resurrection in our place. His victory became our victory. So, now, in His name we have the right and responsibility to trample the powers of darkness and put on display the beauty of God’s original plan: defeat the powers of darkness through those made in His image.
Our problem lies in our tendency to live aware of what the devil has done or is doing and then react to it. Jesus, on the other hand, lived in response to the Father. He set the pattern that we can and must follow. Secondly, we always reflect the nature of the world we are most aware of. If the world around us is one of chaos, confusion, sin, and unbelief, and that reality is what has captured our attention, it will show on our countenance. On the other hand, if we live aware of the open Heaven He has given us access to, we will in like manner reflect the nature of that world through our countenance. I believe the prayer for the favor of God’s countenance upon us is actually a prayer to become more aware of His world than any other. (See Psalm 67:1 and Numbers 6:24-26.) This is the blessed life of a believer.
Who is Waiting on Whom?
We often wait for God to act, when He, in fact, is waiting for us to believe His Word and live fully in what He has provided for us. He waits for us to act out of a faith in what He has accomplished and promised. Perhaps it was for this reason He instructs to “keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). A mind set on things above, where Christ is seated, testifies of an open Heaven. It’s what Stephen saw in his open Heaven experience in Acts 7:55-56; it was marked by the person of Jesus Christ and the throne of God. We are commanded to set our minds on this superior reality because that act alone enables us to see what we’ve set our eyes to see, all in obedience to Him. Without the awareness of the open Heaven, we will live in an inferior way to His design and plan for our lives.
Revival and the Open Heaven
The day of Pentecost was a day of open Heaven experiences. Their intoxication is not a surprise for anyone who has experienced His overwhelming presence. It truly is intoxicating. I remind you that Paul taught us, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). The comparison, while offensive to some, is understandable to those who have been overwhelmed by His manifest presence.
Whenever the Holy Spirit is poured out upon people, it is the flashpoint of revival. He carries the realm of Heaven and is Himself the expression of that world here on earth. That moment of outpouring is what ignites us into our divine purpose—acquainting us with a burning found only in His presence.
Revivals are the best and most glorious state of the church this side of Heaven itself.[1]
That statement really is the ultimate lifestyle for the Church here on earth. Revival is the reality of Heaven revealed through His manifest presence. Heaven, revealed in revival, is more clearly made known in the here and now.
Eternity Now
Heaven is what we were born for. The reality of His rule is the most wonderful discovery available to us, as it is all found in our discovery of the ruler. In other words, we encounter His manifest presence, and everything changes. This is the life of those who truly live in an open Heaven, as it is all about Him. Revival then becomes a way of life.
Notes
Simeon W. Harkey, The Church’s Best State or Constant Revivals of Religion (Sydney: Wentworth Press, 2019), 78.
